


We're the warriors of tomorrow

by IaMcHrIsSi



Series: Batfam Week 2018 [4]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Ra's is an asshole, Talia is a good mom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-20 04:58:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15526554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IaMcHrIsSi/pseuds/IaMcHrIsSi
Summary: There's a new boy in Nanda Parbat. Ra's is abusing his grandson. A girl watches.Or: Cass, Jason and Damian meet while with the League of Shadows





	1. Nanda Parbat

**Author's Note:**

> My entry for the Batfam Week 2018, prompt: AU
> 
> Don't try to figure out a timeline for this, it doesn't exist

There's a new boy in Nanda Parbat.

Not that that's that unusual. People come and go here, especially newly minted assassins brought to prove their worth. But something about that boy... intrigues the girl. He is in pain. Not physical one, or, negligible physical one, but... his soul is hurting, she thinks. That doesn't make much sense.

Many people here aren't happy, but this boy... maybe it's because he is around the same age as the girl, or because he vaguely looks like her. But she wants to know more about him.

She tries to approach him, whenever her father isn't looking, but he is always with the Demon's Daughter, and Talia al Ghul watches over hers fiercely. She cares about him, which is another strange thing about the boy, because the girl used to think that the only person Talia al Ghul truly cared for was her son.

But Ra's al Ghul likes to have his grandson stay with him instead of his mother. So maybe Talia considers the boy some sort of … temporary replacement for her son? She'd never seemed to be the sentimental sort, but she does undeniably care for the boy.

It's a mystery. And mysteries intrigue the girl.

* * *

 “Are you well, my dear?” Talia asks. She's speaking Arabic, her voice soft and calm. Jason looks up from his book (which is written in Mandarin, Talia has been teaching him) and smiles. It's a genuine smile. He likes Talia, because she cares, unlike certain other people.

“A bit bruised and sore, but nothing to bad.” He likes to think he sounds a bit like her when he speaks Arabic. At least his accent isn't as atrocious anymore as it used to be.

She smiles at him, and brushes her hand through his hair. It feels nice. Especially after that training session today. Ra's was watching, and the teachers had not been kind.

“Hey, Talia...” He starts, but then stops. He wants to ask about the girl he's seen, the one who'd been staring at him. She'd looked his age, maybe a bit older, and he thinks he's seen her around before, out of the corner of his eye. She is never the center of the attention, and he doesn't think he's ever heard her talk, either.

“Yes, my dear?” But the girl had looked away when he looked at her. She'd disappeared, almost. Jason likes Talia, loves her even, maybe, but he's not blind to what this place is. What a careless word might do to someone. Not that Talia would allow much harm to come to him, he's sure of that, but the girl? What if the girl is not supposed to be seen? What if she's not supposed to see him?

“Do you have anything of Homer's here? I've always wanted to read the Iliad.” He says, and okay, not a total lie, but Talia doesn't look convinced. She knows him too well.

“Sure, my dear. And you know you can always come to me, right?” Jason smiles, and breathes a sigh of relief as she leaves the room.

* * *

 She sees the boy training one day. He's good, not as good as her, obviously, but good. He fights both like and unlike the League. There are moves she recognizes, obviously taught to him by the various teachers Talia al Ghul provides for him, but some of his moves... she doesn't think she's seen them before.

She doesn't have that much time to watch him, of course. Cain wants her trained to be the best, so she has to train, and she stands guard for Ra's al Ghul too. Sometimes for his grandson.

She likes that boy. Damian. He is arrogant and haughty and sometimes he says things that she is sure are hurtful from the way he looks when he says them, but she can see that he's afraid, too. Afraid and lonely. He misses his mother.

She wonders if Damian knows the boy his mother is raising. She wonders if he'd like to have an older brother.

* * *

 Jason finally catches the girl alone after training one day. She has been lingering around more often, hiding in the shadows. He's not sure if others have noticed. She's very good at hiding, but he doesn't think she's hiding from him. Just from everyone else.

“Hi.” He says, and waves a bit. Mostly to show her he's unarmed. Most assassins here are kind of skittish about being approached by someone they don't know, so he figures this is probably the safest way to go about things.

The girl looks at him, looks as him as though she is scanning him somehow, and just as Jason starts getting really uncomfortable, she waves back. Hesitantly, as though she doesn't really know what waving is. Which is a stupid thought. Everybody knows what waving is.

“H... H... Hi.” She breathes, and her voice sounds raspy. Deep. As though she doesn't use it often. Jason's never heard her talk, but until now he assumed that was because she was hiding from people, not because she genuily doesn't talk much. Which would be kind of creepy, come to think of it. Who doesn't talk?

But then she smiles at him, and Jason stops wondering. There's something so... genuine, so kind, in that smile, that any thought of malicious intentions or creepy personality immediately disappear.

“I'm Jason.” He says, but the girl only tilts her head. It's clear she doesn't understand.

“Aimsi Jason?” He tries, but apparently she doesn't speak Arabic either. “Wǒ de míngzì shì Jason?“ Mandarin only has the girl tilting her head more. “Mi nombre es Jason?” She shakes her head. Jason bites his lip.

Then she blinks, like she understood something, and points at him. “Jay... son?” She asks, and Jason grins.

“Yes!” He nods, and the girl looks happy. Like, really happy. It kind of warms his heart to see it. He points at her. “What's your name?”

She tilts her head again in the way that's Jason starting to realize means she doesn't understand. He points at himself, says “Jason”, and then points at her again, but she just stares at him with her head tilted.

“Don't you have a name?” He asks, quietly horrified. The girl starts looking... afraid is not the word. Cautious? Jason forces himself to relax, to stop thinking about what monsters don't even give a child a _name_.

“Hey, it's okay. I'm not mad at you.” He says, and of course she doesn't understand, fuck, if she doesn't even have a name... but she seems to get it, somehow. She relaxes, and there's a shy smile again, the sort of smile that he just has to answer with a smile of his own.

Somewhere, a door slams. Both Jason and the girl jump, and Jason turns towards the door. An assassin, a young woman he's pretty sure is rather high in Ra's graces, enters the room. She doesn't appear to notice Jason and the girl, but most likely she's just ignoring them. Assassins don't last long here if they're not observant.

When he turns back to the girl, she's gone.

* * *

 Jason talks to her sometimes now. It's... nice. Very nice. She doesn't understand what he says, not really, but she likes watching him move. His body is very expressive sometimes, he moves his hands to underline what he's saying, he moves his head and his body. He's not trying to hide things from her, and he doesn't assume she's stupid just because she doesn't know words.

What bothers her, though, is that he asked for her name. She doesn't think she has a name. Her father never calls her things. There is barely any repeat in the words he says to people when he talks about her, not like Jason, who said his name in combination with different words until he understood.

She's pretty sure her father has a name. Everyone has a name. Everyone but her. She doesn't need a name, she's sure, she's a guard, not an important person, but... Jason wanted to know her name. And the girl finds that she wants to have a name.

One day, she finds Jason reading. The book is very big, but Jason seems to like it. He's relaxed, and there's a soft smile playing on his lips as he reads it. When he looks at her, he beams. He's happy to see her, which makes her feel... good. People usually aren't happy to see her. They just... like her skills, not her. But she doesn't think Jason cares about her skills. She's pretty sure he just cares about her.

He says something, and Cass tilts her head. He knows what she means by that. Then he smiles. He points at her. “Cassandra.” He says, and then he says something else, pointing at the book. She blinks.

“Cassandra. Cass.” He repeats, pointing at her. She tilts her head.

He points at himself, says “Jason”, and then he points at her. “Cassandra.” He looks kind of insecure know, as though he's not sure she likes what he says.

“Cass … an .. dra?” She tries the word, the name, out. It sounds... nice. It sounds like something she could get used to. It sounds like being a person. She smiles. Jason smiles back, warm and kind.

Cassandra. She has a name.

* * *

Cass starts trying to say words one day, shortly after he gave her the name Cassandra. He's not sure if that was, like, okay, to just... give her a name, but he couldn't keep calling her 'the girl' now, could he? And anyway, she seems to like the name, like, really like it, so...

Point is, she's starting to repeat words he says, and making him show her what the word means. That's pretty hard sometimes. How does one show a person who grew up not speaking what 'the' means? But he tries, and she's starting to understand what he's saying.

She's pretty brilliant, learning language from scratch with just him as a probably pretty shitty teacher.

He's starting to try and figure out where she came from. Discreetly, of course. Her reactions to other people walking in on the two of them talking has always been to disappear, so he's pretty sure she's not supposed to be interacting with people. He's also pretty sure that if he ever meets whoever decided that raising a kid solely to be an assassin, with no actual life skills like _talking_ , he's going to kill that person.

Bruce wouldn't approve, Bruce who hadn't even killed the fucking Joker, who'd replaced Jason...

But Bruce also make sure that Jason had a name. Both the name his mother... adoptive mother... had given him, and Bruce's own name, too. He still remembers how he felt when the judge finally declared him Jason Todd Wayne.

And really, Bruce must have cared, he can't help but think. Maybe he stopped caring at some point, probably when Jason started becoming kind of rebellious, but... at some point Bruce must have cared, because looking at Cass... her father (and he's pretty sure that creep Cain is her father) truly doesn't care for her as a person. And Bruce... Bruce was different then that. He treated Jason a lot different from that.

It kind of makes Jason question his whole world view since coming back, but... well, he's not touching that. First problem is helping Cass. Everything else can be figured out later.

He tries to bring up leaving, but Cass doesn't really seem to understand. She's probably never really been anywhere without her father, which is fucking sad, really. Not that Jason knows where they'd go. It's fifty fifty whether Talia would support him, and he doesn't want to go to Gotham until he's like, really desperate, so...

But there's got to be something.

* * *

Ra's is beating his grandson. He's yelling at him too, in a language Cass doesn't understand. It doesn't sound like English. It might be Arabic, she thinks. Jason says that many people here speak that language.

Damian, the little boy, is crumbled on the floor. He's hurting, physically and emotionally. Cass wishes she could go pick him up. He's so little.

Her father used to beat her like that. Worse, sometime. He didn't yell, but it still hurt. Back then, that seemed to be normal. Cass never knew anything else. But watching this old man beat this little boy... it's wrong, Cass thinks. Someone has to help that boy.

She has to help that boy.

* * *

Cass shows him Ra's beating a little boy. She tells him to hide, and then he has to watch as the old demon abuses a little boy who can't be older than eight.

Suddenly, Jason's vision is awash in green. He hasn't had a Lazarus wave this bad in weeks, but god... he wants to hurt Ra's, wants to kill him, to burn him and everything he ever owned to the ground, to raze the earth...

He bites on his own hand, hard, to stop thinking about destruction. Destruction won't help that little boy. Destruction would only end with the little boy, Talia, Jason, and even Cass dead, and that... yeah, that's not happening. He's got to figure out something else.

The green recedes, slowly, as does the urge for uncontrolled violence. His hand is bleeding, and wipes it on his shirt. Then he looks for Cass. She's standing near the door, unmoved, seemingly uncaring.

He sees the look on Cass face, though, stone cold and neutral for any other person, but he recognizes the quiet anguish. She wants to help this little boy as much as he does. But how? This is Ra's al Ghul, owner of Nanda Parbat, father of Talia, head of the League of Shadows... how can they save a little kid from him?

* * *

Cass finds Jason in the armory, after Ra's finally lets her and the little boy go. The boy went to his quarters, pale but with his head raised high. She doesn't think anyone but her saw the shaking of his shoulders.

Jason is shaking too, but not out of pain or anguish or fear, but out of anger. Hatred, even. Not for her, for Ra's, but for a moment, Cass is almost afraid. Jason is young, but angry like this, he looks fearsome.

He must see the effect his anger has on her, though, because when he looks at her, he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath to control it. Cass appreciates the gesture, and puts a hand on his arm.

“Who is that boy?” Jason asks. She doesn't understand all the words, but enough to make out what Jason wants to know.

“Ra's...” She's missing the word. It's a stupid word, she can't even properly show the meaning.

“Son?” Jason asks, and no, that's the wrong word. Not the wrong idea though.

“Ta... lia” She says. For a moment, Jason seems completely confused, then she sees understanding dawn in his eyes. He hisses a few words she is pretty sure are curses.

“Help?” She asks. They have to get that boy away from Ra's. They have to protect him. It has to be them. Talia loves her son, both of them, really, but she's never going to openly defy her father. It has to be them.

“We need to get that boy out of Nanda Parbat, like, yesterday. But how...” Cass says nothing. It's frustrating how hard the words are, but even without knowing them, she knows that Jason wants to leave. It's the only logical choice.

“I'll talk to Talia. She can't be okay with this.” Cass considers stopping him. The only word she understood is Talia, but that's enough. Talia won't help, not in the way Damian needs her too, but … she does love Damian, and she does love Jason. She won't tell.

She nods. Jason relaxes a bit, and it dawns on her that he would not have talked to Talia if Cass didn't approve. That makes her feel... strange. Good strange. She knows that Jason respects her, likes her, even, but to have him put such weight in her opinion... nobody has ever done that before.

“What's his name?” Jason says, finally, voice quiet.

“Da... mi … an.” Cass says, carefully pronouncing each syllable.

* * *

“Have you eaten?” Talia asks, voice soft and maternal. Usually, Jason likes that, even though he has his issues with mothers, but right now, all it does is make him think of that little boy being abused by Ra's. How can Talia be a mother to him but not to Damian?

“Are you alright, my dear?” Talia is standing right in front of him all of sudden, her hands softly on his arms, ready to hug him if he says no. But right now he doesn't want a hug.

“Better than Damian.” He says, and Talia looks as though he punched her. She didn't expect him to bring up her kid, that's for sure. She looks hurt, and... guilty. Sad. So she does care, just not enough to stop her father from hurting her son.

Even _Bruce_ would put a stop to that, no matter how much he does or doesn't care for Jason.

“You know about him.” Talia says, voice so quiet he almost doesn't hear. For a second, Jason feels bad for bringing up a topic that obviously causes Talia pain, especially when she's been so good to him, but that kid needs help and he needs it right now.

“Yes I know about him. And I know what Ra's does to him.” Jason says heatedly. Talia shies away, almost, and Jason tries to control his breathing like she taught him. Scaring Talia is not the point. Getting her to help her son is.

“My father thinks that his heir has to be tempered and strengthened.” Talia says, but even Jason can tell she's just repeating what her father told her.

“Damian is what, 8? 9? He's a kid. He doesn't need to be abused, he needs to be nurtured. And I thought you were your father's heir?” Though, thinking about it, it's not surprising that Ra's is a sexist. Kind of fits the old prick, really.

“How can you care about me and not your son?” He says, just as quietly as she spoke. He can't get it into his head. Talia is a... morally difficult person, but he never doubted that she can and does love. How can she care for a stranger and not her own son?

Talia says nothing, for a good long moment. She looks almost fragile, but only almost. She's still a very capable assassin with connections in pretty much every government. One should never forget about those little facts when dealing with Talia.

“I consider you my son, too.” Talia says, finally, and wow, this is both what he desperately wants to hear, and no help to Damian.

“It only makes sense, given that you are brothers, if not by blood then by law.” Jason blinks. And then he blinks again. And again. And then he starts seriously judging Bruce, because while Talia is awesome, wow does this open a can of worms he doesn't want to deal with.

“... so not thinking about what that implies. Also, doesn't help Damian.” He says, finally, and there's a slight smile on Talia's lips that kind of makes Jason want to smile to.

“I can't do anything for him here. My father owns everything. My father owns _me_. He owns my son. He doesn't own you, yet, and for now I can protect, mostly because he doesn't really care, but...” Her voice almost breaks. There's a lot of almosts, with Talia, which is why it's so important that she called him her son. No almost about that. Just... a clear claiming. Like Bruce did when he adopted Jason.

“Then get Damian away from here! Your father doesn't actually control the world, you know?” Jason says, getting up. He gets the power dynamics in abusive relationships and how it might seem like there's no way out, he does. But Talia's kid is on the line here.

“I can't.” She says, desperately, and Jason...

“I can.” He says, and Talia looks at him with an expression he doesn't really understand. “You said it yourself. Your father doesn't own me yet. I can take Damian out... and Cass. We all get out.” It seems so easy... but they're not going to get out on their own. Not when they're in the devils own lair.

“Who... Cain's girl. Why do you think she would come with you?” Talia seems genuily curious, and for a moment Jason's proud of having kept his friendship to Cass secret even from her. Then he focuses on more important things.

“She was the one who knew about Damian first, she showed me. She wants to help, believe me.” It's starting to look like a plan, getting away. Cass, Damian and him, just... getting away from here. He'll miss Talia, sure, but he's sure she'll visit. Her father may own her, but she still gets out every now and then.

“Where would you go?” She asks. Jason thinks for a moment. He's seventeen, and legally dead. There's no way he can get custody of Damian in any legal way in pretty much any country. He won't be able to get work, either. Cass might be a bit older, might be a bit younger than him, but he doubts she has any sort of birth record or passport.

And they can't hide all their life. That wouldn't be fair to Damian, it wouldn't be fair to Cass. If they're going to get out, they'll need to go somewhere Ra's won't dare go, and they'll need to have some sort of legal identification...

There's really only one place, one person, that can guarantee that. And yeah, maybe Bruce doesn't care about Jason anymore, but Bruce likes helping people, and considering what Talia just said, Damian is _his actual son_...

“Gotham.” He says, and Talia nods. As though she wanted him to reach that conclusion. He wants to be annoyed, but all his brain supplies is plans. And hope, stupid as it might be.

* * *

They're all packed. Talia is kneeling down next to Damian, talking to him softly in what Cass thinks is Arabic. Jason is fiddling with the straps of his backpack. He's nervous, she knows, but so is she. She's going to be without her father. They are going to go to Jason and Damian's father, but Jason assured her that that one is nothing like Cain.

Talia hugs Damian, who still seems rather confused by the proceedings, and then she turns to Jason and hugs him too. There's sadness in the way she moves, but determination as well. Then she looks at Cass, with a look in her eyes that asks her to take care of her sons. Cass nods.

“Ready to go?” Jason asks, and even though she doesn't understand the words, Cass nods. They get on the boat Talia organized for them, and start driving over the dark sea.

Cass doesn't know what's going to happen. It's a strange thing, to have a future this open. Jason is smiling at her, though, and Damian is going to be safe.

It feels like hope.


	2. The Journey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who left kudos and comments! You totally convinced me to at least write the journey. I hope this lives up to your expectations!
> 
> As it turns out, Nanda Parbat is supposedly located somewhere either in the Himalaya or at the Hindukush. Oops. I've decided that it's in the Himalaya, and that Talia somehow brought our three travellers to the Caspic Sea, because otherwise the ending of the first chapter doesn't make any sense.

The first night is... strange. Leaving Nanda Parbat, just the three of them, on the run from the League... Cass should be afraid, and she is. She knows her capabilities, just like she knows that Jason is a good fighter and that Damian, despite only being a child, is not to be underestimated in a fight, but if Ra's al Ghul finds them and decides to take them back to his city, well, she doesn't have any illusions about being able to stop him.

And if that happens, then Damian is back with his abusive grandfather, and Jason and Cass will most likely be killed. Her father might try to save her, but Ra's al Ghul doesn't have any use for a disobedient guard and Talia won't be able to protect Jason, either.

And yet... Cass is feeling absolutely giddy. There's an almost electrical feeling running through her veins, keeping her awake, making it impossible to stop smiling. She's _free_. No more Cain, no more Ra's, no more threat of one day being made to kill someone. Just Jason and Damian and the hope of safety far away.

Jason feels it too, she's sure. He's more anxious about Gotham than he'd let on earlier, afraid of his father's reaction. Which is kind of strange, to be honest, because he had been absolutely sure his father wouldn't hurt them, and she knows for a fact that he'd never endanger her or Damian if it could be helped at all. So that wasn't a lie.

But for tonight, she refuses to think about it. The water is calm, and the sky is clear, and so she can see all the stars. They look beautiful there on the black firmament, more beautiful than she remembers them being when her father taught her navigation. She smiles.

Damian mutters something in what Cass thinks is Arabic, and Jason quietly answers in the same language. The child is still confused, Cass knows, having been send away by his mother with no explanation, but he seems to somewhat trust Jason and Cass, which is really all they can ask for.

She feels Jason's hand on her shoulder, and leans into it. He needs it as much as she does.

* * *

They're on the boat for two days, just sailing through the calm waters, crossing the Caspic Sea. Talia could have organized them a faster boat, but Jason had agreed with her that that would only draw attention to themselves. Ra's will expect them to move fast and comfortable, planes and high velocity trains, so they have to go low tech. It's much harder to find three teenagers when they don't have to pass security checks at airports and the like.

That doesn't mean that Jason is all that happy with the way things are. The first night was a rush, a feeling as though something great was beginning, but now... well, they're stuck on a tiny boat with no offensive or defensive capabilities, just Cass, Damian and him. If Ra's assassins find them, that's it. They're good, but Ra's will bring all his might, and they're not that good.

The fact that Damian is kind of an arrogant asshole doesn't help things, like, at all, either. The kid tries to alternatively order them around, insult them, and threaten them. Not that Jason couldn't take a nine-year-old kid, but they're saving him. He figures they deserve at least some sort of appreciation for that, but apparently not.

“My mother obviously meant to bring me back home soon enough. So turn around, you imbecile, or face the wrath of my grandfather!” The kid bellows, which would be more impressive if he wasn't like, only just coming up to Jason's belly.

“Help. Safe.” Cass says, trying to put a hand on Damian's shoulder, but stopping at the last second when Damian stiffens. Jason doesn't think that Damian notices how obvious his aversion to touch is, but he's not going to bring it up. They have enough problems as it is.

“And why would mother want me to stay with someone who is as obviously unintelligent as her?” He ask Jason, not even looking at Cass, and Jason feels green flare up in his veins. He has to bite his lip hard to stop the Pit.

 _He's just an abused, confused, scared kid_ , he reminds himself. _He doesn't know Cass, and he's never been taught anything but arrogance and violence. I'm the older, more mature one, and Talia expects me to act as his older brother._

“You will not speak this way of Cassandra.” He tells Damian, barely controlling his voice. He doesn't get in the kid's face either, as much as he wants to. He just glares at the him. “She is risking her life to save yours. You will respect her.”

Damian crosses his arms. Jason sighs, and forces himself to remember why they're doing this.

* * *

Once they leave the Sea, things don't really get easier. Jason says not to speak English anymore, because three American tourists will get a lot more notice than three Arabic speaking young people will, but that means that Cass doesn't understand any of the words Jason and Damian exchange.

And, to add to that, the people in Aserbaidschan don't actually speak Arabic, either. There's a lot of sign language involved when they have to buy supplies, but at least Talia packed them some Manat, the currency of the country, so that they don't have to steal anything.

Both Damian and Jason are nervous, for different reasons. Damian is afraid because he's never been away from Nanda Parbat. It's why he's lashing out and saying hurtful things. Not that Cass understands what he's saying, but the way Jason reacts to Damian's words is enough for her.

Jason himself seems to get more jittery the more he thinks about Gotham. It's almost like he thinks his father won't be happy to see him, which is strange. The man he described to Cass when she asks definitively seemed to be the kind of man to be happy his son is alive.

She doesn't ask, though, not yet. They'll be on the road a while longer. If they have one thing, it's time.

Which is good. Cass is not entirely sure what to expect once they reach Gotham. Jason is sure his father will take them in, but he's also afraid of the meeting, she can tell. Considering what her father is like...

but Jason promised that his father is nothing like Cain. That's another thing that scares Cass when she thinks about it for too long: she doesn't know what a relationship with one's father is supposed to be. She thought hers was normal, but it turns out it isn't. But what is normal then?

* * *

Georgia is slightly better than Aserbaidschan, if only because Damian stops trying to convince them to turn around. He still threatens and insults them, but it's somewhat half hearted, which is a relief, really.

Also, every inch distance they put between them and the League is something to be relieved about, really.

Not that Georgia is that easy, really. Finding people who spoke Arabic wasn't that hard in Aserbaidschan, and luckily all of them look like that might be their native language, but the closer they get to Europe and Russia the less people speak Arabic, which means they have to start speaking English. Jason thinks that his fake Arabic accent is somewhat believable, but he's not sure, and that makes him anxious.

* * *

They're on a boat again. Another sailing boat, given to them by a man who recognized Talia al Ghul's sign. Jason is worried that that might lead the League onto their track, if the man tells, but Cass doesn't think so. Jason has never seen Talia angry, not really. Jason doesn't understand just how scared people are of her.

It's a relief to be on a boat, and to have Jason and Damian speak English again. Well, Damian sometimes speaks Arabic, probably deliberately, to remind Cass that she doesn't speak it, but she doesn't mind all that much. After all, Damian is just a scared little boy. And Jason is always willing to help her understand.

It's weird, how much time she has to just... think about things like this now. There's noone to tell her what to do, no Cain and no Ra's, ordering her around. Jason and Damian expect her to help, sure, but they are not... they are not in charge of her.

They respect that she is a person, even Damian, who pretends he doesn't. It's weird.

Sometimes it scares her, this freedom. Her life has always been defined by her father's orders, by her usefulness. Even Talia gave her the silent order to protect Jason and Damian. But those boys themselves? They don't expect her to protect them. They consider her a part of their group, not just the silent shadow.

It's amazing.

* * *

“Why did mother send me away?” Damian asks one night, when the stars are clouded. Jason has been awake, worrying about possible storms and what to do when you are caught in one and don't actually know all that much about sailing, which is why he doesn't immediately answer the kid.

“Did I fail her in some way?” The kid asks again, voice so quiet Jason almost doesn't hear. He looks at Damian. The kid is staring at the sky, but something tells him he's not actually seeing it. Jason looks at Cass, sleeping peacefully, and swallows a few curses. He is so not prepared for this conversation.

“No, Damian. She just wanted you safe.” He says, trying to figure out a way to tell Damian that his grandfather is an abusive asshole without the kid retreating into himself again. There probably isn't one. Damn it.

“Nanda Parbat is the safest place in the world. Grandfather always says so.” The kid says, and now he seems honestly confused. He looks young like this, more like his real age. It kind of breaks Jason's heart. He bites his lips.

“Nobody can attack from the outside, that's true. But the dangers don't just come from outside of the League.” He says, desperately wishing he was someplace else. He is so not qualified for this discussion.

“Grandfather mentioned unrest in the League. But he seemed sure that it was controllable.” Damian says, but he's not quite as confused anymore. Which is good, Jason supposes, even if it doesn't help with the Ra's-is-super-abusive-and-Damian-doesn't-even-have-a-frame-of-reference-for-it-problem.

“But where are we going? Grandfather says a League assassin can go anywhere they want. Wouldn't I still be safest in Nanda Parbat?” The kid asks.

“We're going to Gotham.” Jason says, closing his eyes and very much not thinking about how exactly Bruce will react to seeing him on his doorstep, with a previously unknown biological son and a strange girl in tow. That's a bridge he'll cross when he'll get there.

“We're going to Father?” Damian asks, and suddenly, there's excitement in his voice, making him sound young and innocent. Apparently Talia told him at least something of Bruce. Jason can't decide whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.

“Yes.” Is all that Jason says, but Damian seems so happy with the news, he doesn't even listen to Jason anymore. Which is probably a good thing, because if Jason has to think about going to Bruce any longer, he's going to freak out, and they are on a boat in the middle of the Black Sea. Freaking out is not an option.

* * *

They enter Romania on a beach far away from any cities in the dark of the night. It seems slightly dramatic, but they don't want anyone to notice them.

From there on, things are easier. They're in the EU, so nobody considers it too weird that they speak English, and they won't have to worry about being caught at border controls. They go shopping for an hour, just long enough to get all of them new clothes and backpacks, Jason buys them train tickets, and soon they are driving through the country, looking like three ordinary tourists.

Well, Jason and Cass do. They are old enough to travel alone. There's no way to hide that Damian is just a kid though, and they do get some stares. Whenever that happens, Jason makes a point to talk loudly about how they are going to visit their grandparents. Most of the people stop paying attention after that.

* * *

Jason finds a book on American Sign Language at a train station in Austria. He buys it on a hunch. Cass is making progress with English, but, she still doesn't like talking. Maybe signing is better.

From where they are, they could reasonably fly to Gotham, but Jason honestly doesn't want to risk it. As nice as it is that they have so far appeared to outrun the League, he's still pretty sure that they're monitoring airports. It's what he would do.

Damian has gotten quieter, less threatening, since learning that they are going to Bruce. As a gag, Jason picks up a boulevard magazin with Bruce on the top, apparently dating some kind of model. Giving it to Damian is kind of mean, but also absolutely hilarious.

“Slander! I will not stand for this malicious slander. I shall find the author of this garbage and make him apologize!” Damian shouts, completely serious, and very offended when Jason can't stop himself from snorting. Even Cass looks up from her sign language book long enough to grin at Damian.

“How can they write this about Father? He is the protector of his city, is he not? They should show more respect!” Damian says, still incensed, and Jason starts frantically shushing him.

“Yeah, he is, but it's a secret, remember? Nobody can know he is Batman.” Jason says quickly, quietly. The thought of Bruce's most important secret being outed by his arrogant assassin son might be hilarious, but would definitively not help matters.

“Why? It would only be prudent for the people to know who is protecting them.” Damian says, thankfully a lot quieter than before. Jason chances a look around, but nobody seems to think them anything but ordinary kids.

“He doesn't want them to know. He's not doing it for recognition, he's doing it because he wants to help.” He tells the kid, checking his watch. That's why he doesn't notice Damian suddenly staring at him curiously.

“You know Father, don't you?” He asks. Jason swallows a curse and looks at the kid. He can't lie to the kid, Damian would never trust him again if he did, and really, what would he gain? Damian will know anyway once they reach Gotham. But he so does not want to talk about Bruce right now.

“I'll tell you about him later, when we're not in the middle of a busy train station” He promises, finally, already dreading that conversation.

* * *

“Why.... scared... father?” Cass asks Jason that night, sitting in the train. Damian is sleeping peacefully right next to them, and other than that, the train seems empty.

Jason doesn't answer right away, his eyes glued to the book in his hands. He bought it at the train station, but he's not reading it right now. She can tell because his eyes aren't moving at all.

“I don't think he cares for me.” Jason says, finally, his eyes never leaving the book. Cass has to think that statement over for a minute. There are so many words she still doesn't know, but she thinks she understands simply from reading his body.

“You … think... he... not.” She says, trying to use some of the signs she saw in the book. Learning sign language is hard, harder than she'd thought, because she still has to learn words to sign them, but the idea of being able to speak with just her body, and having others understand that, is enough to make her excited.

“He used to, you know. When he adopted me, he loved me, I'm sure of it. We had good times, like, really good times. He was a pretty amazing dad. But...” He bites his lip. Cass waits. She doesn't need to understand his words to know that he is sad, and that he needs to say this.

“We fought. A lot, in the last months. And then I died. And he replaced me. My murderer is still running around, and Batman's got a new Robin, so... he can't have cared anymore, you know. Otherwise, something would have changed with my death. But it didn't. Everything's the same, only I'm not there anymore. His life didn't change one bit.”

Jason shoulders shake a bit, and his eyes are suspiciously wet. Cass stands up and hugs him. She can't comfort him, not when she's not even completely understanding what the problem is, but holding him helps. He clings to her, the shaking stopping slowly, until he seems completely calm again.

“Thanks.” He whispers, and let's go of her. She stays, though, letting her head fall onto his shoulder. Hugging is good, she thinks, no matter what the problem is.

* * *

“So, Father.” Damian says, sitting in their little cabin aboard the ship that's going to bring them to New York. They'll be on here for nine days, with no place to run, so Jason knows postponing this discussion is useless, how matter how much he wants it.

“What do you want to know?” He asks wearily. Cass looks at him. She's still studying that book, and she's started trying out some signs, which is pretty awesome. But right now she's looking at him with that tilt of her head that says that she'll have his back.

“How do you know him?” Damian asks. Straightforward enough.

“I stole his tires.” Jason answers.

“You what?!”

“I stole his tires. I was a skinny little kid, and that batmobile has these awesome tires, you know, I would have been able to buy food for months with just those tires. So I stole them. He caught me, of course, because he's Batman. Didn't turn me in or anything, though. He bought me food.” Jason smiles at the memory. He'd been such a little shit back then, stealing from Batman, but... he wouldn't change it for the world, even knowing what followed.

“Why would he buy a thief food?” Damian asks, completely confused. And kind of offended, but that's normal with Damian.

“Didn't understand that back then, either. I was just a street kid, you know, not used to adults paying attention. But I hadn't eaten in like three days, so I figured I'd take my chances.” Jason smiles. “We talked, and eventually, he took me in. Adopted me as Bruce Wayne, and after like, two weeks I figured out he was Batman, too. I was so amazed by that.”

For a long moment, Damian says nothing. Jason's almost worried he said the wrong things, so caught up in nostalgia, but he's not sure what else he should have said. Lying wouldn't have worked with the kid anyway, and he's more comfortable telling the truth.

“Why would he adopt you, when he already has a blood son?” Damian asks, and... wow, next time Jason sees Talia, they're definitively going to talk about a few things.

“Blood doesn't always make family.” He says, and “He didn't know you existed, either.”

Damian takes a few moments to think about that. Jason can't figure out what the kid was expecting, or is thinking, like, at all, so he let's the quiet linger.

“Did Father send you to Mother for training?” Damian asks eventually. Jason snorts.

“Nope. Bruce actually doesn't know I went to Nanda Parbat.” And he won't be happy when he finds out, he doesn't add. Bruce might not care about Jason, but he's always had a firm opinion on killing and assassins.

“Then how did you end up there?”

“I died. Was murdered, actually. Your mother used a pit to bring me back.” He says the words flippantly, as though they don't mean anything, but he's sure his rigid spine is giving him away. Cass appears next to him, silent as a shadow, and puts a hand on his shoulder.

“Father took care of your murderer, I assume.” Damian says, looking almost... guilty? for bringing it up?

“Nope. The Joker is still running around, perfectly free and alive.” Jason spits the words out, focusing on his anger instead of the fear. That's one of the downsides of going to Gotham. It's the Joker's preferred territory. Anywhere else, and he'd never have to deal with the Joker again, but Gotham means he'll see his murderer on the news every other months.

But going anywhere else would mean looking over his shoulder constantly, waiting for the League to catch up and take Damian back, for Cain to get Cass, for both of them to get hurt again. And Jason's not going to let that happen

“But why? He should have avenged your death, restored the family's honor!” Damian says, well, shouts almost. Jason closes his eyes, takes a moment to breathe.

“That's not how he thinks. Bruce doesn't like killing. At all. He has a very strict rule about that.”

“That is rather stupid. But even with that, there are other ways to incapacitate men like that. Grandfather would have at least broken the man's spine.” Damian says. Jason grimaces.

“Not disagreeing with you, kid. But things are as they are.” He looks away. There's nothing he can say right now about Bruce that won't sour the kid against him, and neither Bruce nor Damian deserve that. They deserve a chance at being family, even if that family almost certainly won't include Jason.

After a moment, he feels a hand tentatively touching his. Looking up, he finds Damian looking at him, earnestly but without any sort of... haughtiness.

“I am sorry you were killed.” Damian says, sounding kind of insecure. Jason forces himself to smile.

“Thanks.”

* * *

They're all standing on the ship, watching in awe as they arrive in New York. After nine days on the Sea, Cass is excited to reach solid ground again, and yet... there is something beautiful about the vastness of the ocean. She hadn't ever really realized just how much water there is on the earth, and she doesn't think Jason and Damian have, either. It's something that has to be experienced.

Of course, they haven't just stared at the Sea for the last nine days. They've also read a lot, and talked, and Jason has started learning rudimentary sign language so he can try to hold conversations with Cass. Neither of them is any good at it, yet, but Cass likes the idea that soon enough, they will be. She's even caught Damian peeking in on their learning, and repeating certain signs when he thinks they aren't watching. It's cute.

And yet... she's both happy and sad to leave the ship. Happy, because the ship was rather cramped, and now that she has the freedom to decide what she wants to do on her own, she likes the knowledge that at least theoretically she could run as far as she wanted.

But she's sad, too, because being on that ship... it was like time had no meaning. Everyday was similar, but not in a bad way. Not like with Cain. The ship was... safe. Nobody could touch her or the boys there, and nobody wanted them any harm. She didn't have to worry about the League, or about whatever welcome they might receive from Jason's father. There was only them, the Sea and the Stars.

She misses it already when they buy the tickets for the bus.

* * *

The ride from New York to Gotham isn't long, but it both feels like ages and as though it's over in like, five minutes. Jason can feel his anxiety rising with every second, and Damian, too, gets stiffer and stiffer. Cass doesn't seem bothered, but Jason is pretty sure she's nervous, too.

As the only one who's met Bruce before, Jason feels like he should say something, but... well, he's not sure what a welcome they will receive, to be honest. Bruce will love the thought of having a biological son, he's sure of it, and he will most likely at least let Jason and Cass stay until the immediate danger of the League finding them has passed, but beyond that...

“He'll love you.” He tells Damian, because that's what a good big brother would say, and even if Bruce doesn't care for Jason anymore, Talia does, so he figures he should at least try to act like a big brother.

“Are you sure?” Damian asks, sounding small and young. Jason puts a hand on his shoulder, and is slightly surprised to find Damian leaning the touch.

“Yeah. You're his son. He might be a bit of an asshole at first, because that's what he does when he's confronted with surprises, but once he really realizes what's going on he's definitively going to love you.”

Damian smiles, just a bit. He still seems nervous, but not as much as before. Jason wishes his own nerves were that easy to calm.

“Thanks.” Damian whispers, and Jason smiles, too. Maybe the whole big brother thing isn't that hard after all.

* * *

Gotham City is huge. Bigger than she'd expected. It seems to go on and on and on, dark alleys and broad boulevards, and Cass... she never thought she'd fit in in a city, but she thinks she can get used to Gotham.

By the time they reach Jason's home, she's convinced that even if for some reason Jason's father doesn't take them in, she'll stay here. At least for a bit, just to explore. She's sure she could convince Jason to stay with her. It's his home, after all. And well... they'll go from there. If there's one thing she learned on this tour, it's that the world is big, and they are free.

She smiles at Jason as walk up to the house. It's more than a house, really, it feels as huge as Gotham City. He's tense, worried, and she takes his hand. He relaxes a bit at that, at knowing he's not alone.

Then they stand in front of the dark door. They all take a deep breath, seemingly as one, and Jason rings the door bell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's mean ending right there, believe me, I know. But... well, writing the ending would have taken another two thousand words at least, and I don't have the time or the muse for that today, and an open end felt kind of right.
> 
> I do have vague plans for a third part, but to be honest, I'm not entirely sure I'll have the time to write it this week. I'll try, but... well, real life is happening. Not sure.

**Author's Note:**

> I know things are a bit... smoother in this fic than in canon, but well, this is my AU, and I want to give these kids a chance for happiness. Also, Talia might be completely ooc here, but I've never felt like I've got a good handle on her character in canon, so I made her like I'd like her to be.
> 
> Jason is reading the Iliad earlier because there used to be a scene where Jason explains choosing the name Cassandra for Cass because she reminds him of Cassandra of Troy, who knows things others don't but can't communicate them to them in ways they'll believe.
> 
> Also, the reason that both Cass and Jason note that they look vaguely similar is that I like the idea that Shiva lied and they are actually half siblings.
> 
> Also, I didn't want to take away at Cass' future relationship with Babs, and I know how important it is to Cass that Babs came up with the name Cassandra, but... Jason couldn't just call her 'the girl' for the whole fic, you know?
> 
> Also (last one I promise) if you think that Jason was too forgiving to Bruce for that particular time, I'd like to point out that Jason very deliberately doesn't think of Bruce in terms of 'how will our relationship be' or 'does he care about me', 'do I care about him' or anything like that. Jason is in protective mode in that moment, because Jason is a person who cares deeply, and Bruce is the best option for protecting Cass and Damian. That doesn't mean things are going to be peachy when they get to Gotham, actually, they probably won't be, but given that this is my AU, I think I'd have Bruce actually expressing feelings in a remotely healthy way for once, which would probably help a lot. I just want them to be happy!


End file.
